ISTANBUL, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Turkish authorities detained 25 suspected migrant smugglers and 355 irregular migrants during nationwide operations across all 81 provinces, the interior ministry announced on Wednesday.
Authorities conducted identity checks on more than 427,000 people and inspected more than 14,000 locations, including abandoned buildings, public venues, and transportation terminals, as part of a coordinated operation involving migration officials, police, gendarmerie, and coast guard, the ministry said in a statement on social media.
Procedures to deport the irregular migrants have been initiated, according to the statement.
A major transit country for migrants heading to Europe, Türkiye has intensified its nationwide crackdown on migrant smuggling and irregular migration in recent months. ■
